Chapter 73.2: Short Break (3)
The Thunder Lord, who had been gritting her teeth at my words, was startled and turned around.
“···I beg your pardon?”
“If you’re going to continue with that attitude, the conversation ends here. Go back.”
She said urgently.
“What, what attitude? Just keep talking, okay?”
“As I just said, I know of a place with a thunder spirit as strong as the Laxia you contracted with.”
Hearing it again, her eyes widened.
“That’s a lie. How can I believe that?”
“If you don’t want to believe me, then don’t.”
I crossed my arms and said.
“Do you think I really need to show such kindness to someone who only spews such one-sided hostility? What do you think?”
“···”
“Answer me, Second Lord. Or this conversation would end here.”
She looked at me with unsure eyes.
Then she seemed to be in deep anguish for a moment, then she finally closed her eyes tightly and said,
“Sorry… I’m sorry. I was too emotional.”
At that apology, I chuckled.
Seeing how she became so compliant in an instant, it seemed that the spirits were really important to her.
I was curious about how her expression would change if I said it was a lie, but that was only a passing thought.
“So tell me. Where is the spirit?”
“Do you think one apology will be enough?”
“···”
Her expression darkened again.
“Does that mean there is something you want from me? You really are…”
“No, I don’t really want anything from you.”
I cut off whatever it was she was trying to say.
“It’s just that I don’t feel comfortable handing over this much information. Think the other way around. Would you do the same?”
“···”
“So, I’m thinking about whether to tell you about it.”
The Second Lord—the Thunder Lord.
Even though she lost a lot of power, at level 90, many could still consider her as a powerhouse on the continent.
This bait would make it easy to borrow her help when needed.
My words must have sounded like I was just making things up. That’s why the Thunder Lord’s face became ferocious again. Of course, she had the right to feel that way.
But what could she do? Having a new powerful spirit was important to her, and I was the only one who possibly knew its location.
“If you deceive me and just end up telling me nothing until the end, no, if it was a lie in the first place…”
I stopped her and said,
“Then I will swear on that part. Staking my name and honor.”
“···”
“You wouldn’t insult me by even calling this a deception. Right, Second Lord?”
As the Lordship of Calderic was determined only by the appointment of the Overlord, there was no such thing as succession by blood.
Just as the people in Santea believed in the sacred blood of the royal family and take their rule as something absolute, in Calderic, the Lords’ rule was also absolute. Like a supreme being that no one dared to go against. That was why this system could be maintained.
Still, some of the Lords formed huge families by blood or tribe, and the Thunder Lord’s Cerionne family was like that too.
As she came from the most ancient family in Calderic, she had a higher sense of self-esteem and authority than anyone else.
If I, the same Lord, risked my name and honor in this way, she would take it as a promise I could never break.
Of course, I had no intention of keeping that promise if things went wrong later.
“···Good. I believe you.”
The Thunder Lord replied with a reluctant expression.
“Then let’s end the conversation here.”
I said, compromising.
“I feel like I should tell you I did not intend to annihilate your spirit. That last attack of yours was a powerful blow that could otherwise have killed me.”
I didn’t know if my relationship with her would be restored. Nevertheless, I still wanted to lead her in a good direction.
“···I’m leaving.”
She turned around with a complex face that seemed to be a mixture of dejection and other emotions.
I thought as I looked at that weak gait, as if she had lost strength.
Where can I use her?
Even though she lost some strength, she was still a big player who could be of great help.
Now that I could ask for her help when I needed it, I had to think about it a bit…
···Ah.
Then a thought popped into my mind.
Wyvern.
As they are a rare sub-dragon species, there were only a few places where they lived on the continent, and one of them was the Glide Mountains, located far west of Calderic.
If one travelled normally, it would take a long time to arrive, but if they travelled by riding a wyvern?
“Second Lord.”
I called her.
She stopped and looked back as if she was asking, ‘what else do you need?’.
“Did you ride a wyvern to get here?”
“···Yes, why?”
“How long does it take to ride a wyvern to the Glide Mountains from here?”
She looked at me with her eyes showing confusion as to why I was asking something like this out of the blue and then she replied.
“It should arrive in at least five days. Why are you asking that suddenly?”
I nodded.
“Let’s go right now.”
“…I beg your pardon?”
She blinked.
The time left until the conference was about a month.
I had enough time to do some things before that.
